Fire Crews, Off-Duty Correctional Officer Save Sleeping Family From Burning Stockton Home
STOCKTON (CBS13) – Fire crews and an off-duty correctional officer who was in the right place at the right time saved a sleeping family from a burning home in Stockton last week, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's office said on Thursday.
The sheriff's office said a San Joaquin County Correctional Officer Ellis was arriving at a supermarket in the early morning of April 21 following his night shift when he noticed flames engulfing the front porch of a residence across the street.
The scene was across the street from the Save Mart on Pacific Avenue, deputies said.
The sheriff's office said Ellis was unable to approach the front door due to the flames and immediately called 911 to report the fire. Ellis yelled from outside the home to see if anyone was inside, the agency said, and right about that time is when fire crews arrived.
"Officer Ellis stated his heart sunk when he watched the fire department walk the family that had appeared to have been sleeping, outside to safety. He humbly stated he was in the right place at the right time," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
Deputies said the family was evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.
